For many Latin American cultures, art serves as a medium to recount the history of its peoples and preserve their rich traditions.

To honor and give recognition to the extraordinary craftsmanship of talented artists from across Latin America, Old Town’s Bazaar del Mundo Shops will provide a venue to share their culture’s stories as told through their creations at its annual Latin American Festival.

The Annual Latin American Festival

Transformed into a bustling marketplace, the Bazaar del Mundo Shops will showcase genuine folk art, handwoven textiles, embroidered clothing, stunning jewelry, and meticulously crafted pottery by talented artists from Latin America.

The festival will also exhibit San Diego’s largest collection of authentic Mata Ortiz pottery, a centuries-old art form renowned for its intricate process and delicately hand-painted geometric and ancestral symbols—showcased by master potter Jorge Quintana.

Celebrating Traditional Artistry

You can also enjoy watching live demonstrations by artists skilled in traditional crafts such as woodcarving, painting, and weaving, including:

• Jacobo and María Ángeles’ hand-carved wooden figures represent mythical animal spirit guides known as alebrijes, popularized by the much-celebrated animated film, “Coco,” for which Jacobo served as a consultant.
  
  Sometimes taking months to complete, this labor-intensive and meticulous art form is perfected by these two artisans whose work spans more than 30 years.

• Pedro and Diego Montaño keep their Zapotecan culture alive through the art of weaving, a skill passed down from generation to generation.
  
  The father-son duo continues their family’s tradition with their pedal-loomed Oaxacan wool rugs, which are colored with all-natural dyes and elaborated into detailed designs.

• Geraldo Ortega has been creating whimsical clay figurines for over 20 years. Following in the footsteps of his grandmother’s traditional Barro Betus technique, his artwork is known for its one-of-a-kind intricacy and vibrancy.

Other work will include a collection of folk art and paintings showcased by Silvia Berrios, Oaxacan embroidered clothing designed by Olayda Perez Ruiz and Esther Jimenez, and stunning jewelry pieces crafted by Peruvian designer Esteban Yanez.

To add to the lively spirit of the celebration, food and drinks from neighboring Casa Guadalajara’s award-winning Mexican cuisine will be available to order, plus Latin American folk band Tinku will be performing.

See you there!

This free event will take place from August 2 to 4, from 10 AM to 8 PM on Friday and Saturday and 10 AM to 5:30 PM on Sunday.

Free parking is available at the Caltrans parking lot across the street after 5 PM on Friday and all day on Saturday and Sunday.

Inside the Bazaar del Mundo Shops, located at 4133 Taylor Street in Old Town, shelves will be brimming with an enticing selection of imported gifts and goods from Mexico and Latin America, along with a wide variety of books covering travel, culture, architecture, arts, crafts, and food.

For more information, visit their website here and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and X for more updates.

See you there, San Diego!